Pence to find a new world after trade to Phillies

MILWAUKEE — Depending on how you look at it, Hunter Pence is either headed into focus or out of focus.

Into the focus of the baseball world, as he is moving from the worst team in all of major league baseball, straight up to No. 1. Into the focus of one of the best baseball cities in America, a rediscovered title for what was for much of the last decade, clearly a professional football town.

But out of the focus of the lineup as the Phillies now have a strong and well-balanced mix from 1-8. No longer is he THE guy. He’s a guy, and a good one, whom Charlie Manuel told Phillies writers would hit in the No. 5 spot.

They have righties, Pence and Placido Polanco. They have lefties, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez. They have switch-hitters, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino.

“We believe in our offense as it stands,” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said of his unit ranked seventh of 16. “It’s been a little inconsistent, not as consistent as it’s been in the past. This gives us a little more balance for Charlie’s lineup.

“But not only that, we acquired in a lot of ways, someone who is extremely well-rounded and the type of player we like to have here in Philadelphia. Clearly, the way this guy plays and goes about his business, the kind of teammate he is and the fact that we have him under control for two more years were very, very big factors for us.”

The spotlight will still shine on Pence, simply as a player in a home ballpark that has now sold out 180 consecutive games. His now-former teammate Michael Bourn remembers this from his time in Philadelphia, where Bourn came up before he was traded to Houston in Ed Wade’s first major deal.

“I know he’s going to an organization where he’ll be well taken care of, but I hate to see him go,” Bourn said.

“He’s got teammates over there that will help him settle in and help him relax and help him get used to the environment of playing over there. It’s a little bit different environment than playing in Houston.

“Their fans are a little bit more passionate – I’m not going to say passionate – well, yeah they are a little bit, I’m not going to sit here and lie. They’re crazy over there, so once you get used to that environment, I think that he’ll enjoy.”